Breaking out of the prison republished
by sarcain
Summary: After seeing Aaron, Veronica realizes that she is caught in her own prison. She turns to Logan to help her break out, with different reactions from the people who are closest to her.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Veronica took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her thoughts were buzzing around in her head frantically. She wasn't sure what she was going to do; what she _should_ do. She let the air out of her lungs in a whoosh as she firmed her resolve.

She was standing in a hallway in the prison where Aaron Echoll's was being held. The faded paint on the walls around her had a faint musky aroma that made her stomach roll. Two doors, guarded by large COs with side arms, were just ahead of her. The guards were posted there to escort visitors to the little booth where they could talk to an inmate.

She was last in a fast dwindling line to go through those doors.

"I _will_ do this" she muttered to her self, straightening her shoulders and opening her eyes. The guards were getting to her now. She took a second to tidy up her hair a bit before walking calmly through the doors.

Aaron was excited.

For the first time in two weeks he had a visitor that wasn't his lawyer; His _very expensive_ lawyer. Aaron frowned as he thought of the slick little man that handled his appeal.

The prick came by every week spewing lies about how he was going to get Aaron out soon. Aaron had a suspicion that the greedy son of a bitch only came to rack up more billable hours. It was a long drive from Neptune.

But it wasn't him today. That was what he was thinking when he was brought to his appointed booth and sat down by the CO. It was the reason that he had a big smile on his face when he saw Veronica.

The smile didn't fade even though the small blond on the other side of the thick Plexiglas didn't respond to it.

"Veronica" he said with welcoming warmth in his voice. "Thank you for coming"

Aaron's smile was like a slap in the face. He had been in prison for a month since his sentencing…and he was smiling.

Veronica's face froze in shock as she saw his handsome face warm in welcome. She had expected anger and insults, not smiles and…_welcome_.

"Cat bit your tongue?" Aaron asked with a chuckle. His laughter galvanized her and she shook her head in rejection.

"No Echoll's. The cat didn't bite my tongue" she answered coldly, wiping the smile off his face. His eyes became cold and calculating as he looked her up and down.

"What do you want, _Veronica_?" he asked, his voice caressing her name in a way that made her want to vomit. He had abandoned all pretence of friendliness. "Not that I'm not enjoying the visit. Has anyone ever told you that you look very sexy in black?" he continued in a whisper with a smirk on his face.

Veronica held back the urge to cover herself under his piercing gaze. He made her feel like she was naked and not covered completely in a black matronly dress.

"I wish I could say the same about you in orange" Veronica responded coolly, looking pointedly at the jumpsuit he was wearing.

Aaron snarled at her and his hand jerked in reflex to grab at her. The handcuffs stopped him and returned his control. He took a deep breath, his fists clenching for a second before he relaxed them. He didn't want to give the COs a reason to dislike him.

"What do you want?" he bit out at her in an angry hiss. He was starting to think that it was a mistake allowing this visit.

"I wanted to see you here" Veronica answered bluntly, meeting his eyes.

They stared at each other for a minute, neither saying anything. Aaron knew that if it wasn't for Veronica, he would be free. But he also knew that she would never forget about him; never get over what he had done to her.

He smiled at her.

"I'm not the only one in prison Veronica" he said softly. He signalled to the guards and stood as they approached. He turned to her for one last time. "I prefer my jail to yours"

He didn't look back as the guards took him from the room. He didn't need to. He had already seen the look on her face. That was enough.

Veronica sat for a minute after Aaron had left. She couldn't seem to get up. She wanted to, but she couldn't.

She was in her own prison.

The thought was imprinted on her brain. It burned and festered there until she felt like screaming.

She barely noticed when she was escorted from the room and led outside to where her car was parked. She went through the motions without really registering them. When she finally reached her car she could only stand by her door, doing nothing.

He's right. I am trapped.

The thought came with a shudder and a sob broke through. Tears started pouring down her face as she wept. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees on the pavement, holding her self and crying so hard that her head began to ache.

Logan was sitting next to Duncan in his X-terra. They were parked outside Veronica's house waiting for her to get there. They had been waiting for a half an hour. Logan hadn't commented on her absence yet, but he was going to.

"You sure she was supposed to be here?" Logan asked casually, not meeting Duncan's eyes. He flicked a piece of lint off of his jeans and shifted in his red t-shirt. God this was awkward!

Duncan's eyes flitted over to Logan and returned to the road where he was watching for Veronica. "Yeah" was all he said.

Logan sighed and nestled back into his seat, his eyes closing. They had been friends again for a few weeks now, but it was still tense when the subject was Veronica. He and Veronica had been tiptoeing around each other, so as not to piss Duncan off. Or at least he had been tiptoeing around. It seemed like Veronica had never really gotten back in the groove of insulting him.

He had burned her, but she had taken it.

He frowned at the thought. Before they had dated she had given as good as she got, but now she just avoided him or ignored him. He didn't like it.

Just then, he heard her car pull into the parking lot. His eyes popped open as the car parked next to them. He would to talk to her soon; when Duncan wasn't there.

He would make sure that she wouldn't be able to ignore him.


	2. Chapter 2

AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you hadn't already guessed, this is a LoVe fic. It will include some…less than positive stuff on Duncan. So, fair warning to Doughnut fans.

CHAPTER 2

Veronica looked like shit.

That was the thought that flashed through Logan's head when he caught sight of Veronica getting out of her car. Her eyes were red rimmed and sad. It was the sadness in her eyes that got his attention. He hated when Veronica hurt. He hated it almost as much as he hated not being able to comfort her.

She was wearing a black dress that would have been somber if it hadn't been on her. Only a woman could think that covering herself up would make her less attractive. Logan had a sudden urge to see what was underneath.

"Veronica, you're late" Duncan said in an accusing tone. Veronica's head snapped up and she looked quickly to Duncan with a blank look. "You were supposed to be here half an hour ago" he continued.

Logan couldn't believe how dense Duncan was being. What kind of boyfriend didn't notice that his girl was destroyed.

Veronica rubbed a hand over her face, wearily pasted a fake smile on her mouth. "I'm sorry Duncan, but I can't hang out right now" she said in a normal tone. She began walking towards her front door, her keys still out in her hand.

"What?" Duncan said, frustration showing in his voice. He made a move to follow her.

"That's okay Veronica" Logan said quickly, wanting to spare her any more of Duncan's frustration. "I wanted to steal him for a boy's night anyway. Come on Duncan" he said, taking Duncan's shoulder and leading him to the X-Terra. Duncan didn't struggle too much, letting himself be led to the passenger side door.

When Duncan was settled in the car Logan took his place in the driver's seat. He looked once at Veronica before driving away. She sent him a grateful smile that warmed his heart and made guilt burn in his stomach.

She was Duncan's girl, not his. So why was he the one that knew she was hurting? Why was he the one that wasn't oblivious to what she did for her father? And why was he the one who wanted to hold her for the rest of his life?

God. What the hell was he going to do about his fucked up life?

Veronica watched as the SUV drove away. Only when it was out of sight did she go into the apartment.

She knew that her father was out of town looking for a bail jumper and didn't bother calling out for him. He not being there was the reason that she had chosen now to go see Aaron. She knew that afterward she would only want to be alone. It was one thing to analyze your life and emotions, it was another for your dad to try to do it.

She sighed deeply and put her purse down on the kitchen counter. She hesitated for only a minute before she kept moving.

How could Duncan be so dense?

That's all she could think as she moved down the hallway to her room. It went through her mind over and over again. That, and how Logan had automatically known that there was something up.

She had known that he had noticed as soon as she saw his face. It had held concern instead of the mockery she was used to. Veronica chuckled ruefully to herself. She must really be a mess for Logan to give a shit.

She flopped down on her bed and looked up at the ceiling.

Logan always did see right through her. Even before Lily had died and everything had changed. He had seen the inner bad girl that she had squashed down her whole life. She could still remember how he had joked with her. A smile warmed her face a second before melting off.

Duncan didn't even know what she really did at her father's office. He was so caught up with the person that Veronica used to be that he was blind to the new her. And she was letting him stay that way. She sighed deeply and covered her eyes with an arm.

What the hell was she going to do about her fucked up life?


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

_1 MONTH LATER_

Veronica was in class when the call came in over the intercom. She was wanted in Vice Principal Clemmons' office. What a shocker.

She ignored the looks from the other students as she made her way to the front of the class to the door. She didn't notice that not all of them were mocking. Some of the guy's eyes followed her figure in her fitted jeans and black t-shirt. She was petite, but that didn't stop her from having presence.

She exchanged a look with the teacher, acknowledging without words that she wouldn't bother coming back to class. The period was almost over and there wouldn't be any point.

Making her way to Clemmons' office she tried to figure out what he might want. She hadn't done anything illegal recently; at least not on school grounds.

Knocking on his door sharply, she let herself in. "You wanted to blame me for something sir?" she said with a smile before even seeing him. Turning at his cough, she noticed that he wasn't alone. "Dad" she said in surprise, grimacing at him catching her being flip to Clemmons.

"Veronica, I have something that I have to tell you" Keith said quietly. That was when she noticed the sadness in his eyes. She took a step forward in concern. He waved a hand to keep her from talking and motioned again to a chair. Veronica sat.

"Uh…maybe I should leave you two alone to talk" Clemmons said softly, excusing himself from the room. Veronica began to panic. Why would we need to be alone to talk?

"Veronica, it's about your mom" Keith said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Veronica shot up from her seat and looked at her father with denial in her eyes.

"No!" she cried, backing up as her father moved to hug her. "She's fine" Veronica said pointedly.

"There was an accident" Keith continued, ignoring her denials. "She was driving d…she crashed into a pole and she was hurt"

Veronica noticed how he had changed his words. "Driving _drunk_?" she asked for clarification. Keith averted his eyes causing Veronica to suck in a deep breath. "She's dead isn't she?" she asked, a calm born of shock in her voice.

Keith could do nothing but look on helplessly. "Yes"

Veronica nodded shakily and moved to the door. "I have to go now" she said, each word said carefully as if she was scared that she would fumble them. She opened the door and ran out.

Keith knew that she needed time and stayed behind, waiting for Clemmons so he could make arrangements to excuse Veronica from classes.

Veronica couldn't think. Thinking would mean acknowledging the fact that her mother was dead. It would mean coming to terms with the fact that she died drunk, behind the wheel.

The bell rang as she was making her way through the halls. People began spilling from their classrooms, trying to get to their lockers and to lunch. Veronica barely noticed them. She was just getting to the parking lot when she heard her name called out. She kept moving, turning to see who it was.

Duncan and Logan were jogging towards her, laughing at some joke. Duncan was wearing an argyle sweater with jeans; Logan was wearing an orange shirt with no sleeves and jeans. They sped up when they noticed that she wasn't going to stop. "Hey, where's the fire?" Duncan called out.

FIRE. The sudden mental picture of her mother burning in her car entered Veronica's mind before she could stop it. A sob escaped her as she reached her car, fumbling for her keys and dropping them. She was shaking as she started crying uncontrollably.

She was crying.

The thought flashed in Logan's mind like the lights of Las Vegas. The sight nearly stopped him in his tracks it was so startling. He had never seen her cry like this; her whole soul was being poured out of her in that moment.

He automatically pushed past Duncan, who was standing there shocked, to get to Veronica. "What happened Veronica? What's wrong?" he asked her softly. His only answer was another sob and he took her into his arms. She grabbed on to him, burrowing her face into his shirt. He stroked her back as he whispered soothing nonsense into her ear.

He could feel her shaking in his arms and he held her tighter. He could feel the chill through their bare arms. He knew that the chill wasn't going to kill her, but it still worried him. What was going on?

He could hear Veronica taking in a shuddering breath. "My mother dead" Veronica burst out, drawing in laboured breaths. Logan's eyes clenched shut with pain at the answer to his silent question. He knew what kind of pain she was going through. The only thing he could do for her was be there; like she had been there for him.

He swung her up into his arms and carried her across the parking lot to his ride, leaving Duncan to take care that Veronica's keys were picked up. People looked at them curiously, but he ignored them. Both he and Veronica were used to being stared at.

He didn't want to put her down, but he needed to get the car door open for her to get in. He decided to balance her against his chest with one arm and open the door with the other. Veronica put her arms around his neck to help. He leaned over with her to gently sit her down, murmuring reassuring words when she wouldn't let go of him.

Her arms loosened around his neck, but she still held his shoulders. She looked up at him with tear drenched eyes that broke his heart. "Logan" her words were a quiet whisper that he could barely hear; he read his name on her lips.

"Shhh, love. I'll take care of you" Logan said as he brushed some hair off of her forehead. Veronica's eyes closed slowly and she let her head rest on the seat as he closed the door. Logan could see Keith Mars walking towards him with Duncan and Clemmons behind him.

He didn't waste time, getting in the SUV quick as he could and leaving before anyone could stop him. He sped out of the lot, ignoring the yells that he could hear from the three men. As soon as he got on the street he drove in the direction of a quiet place. Somewhere that no one would expect him to go.

The car ride was a quiet one. Veronica was still crying, but it was silent tears that made their way out of her closed eyes. Logan kept looking at her to make sure that she was alright, not really trusting that calm after the storm.

Her black shirt was twisted on her from being held in his arms. The bottom was riding high on her waist, showing her pale soft skin. He could see that her jeans were low riders and had to pry his eyes away from the tantalizing view that they afforded him. Her hair was mussed, but in a sexy _just-got-out-of-bed_ way.

She was beautiful. She's in the process of grieving her mother's death, and she still manages to be beautiful. Logan would prefer it otherwise. It would make taking care of her a lot easier.

Veronica knew where they were even before she opened her eyes. The smell of the ocean gave it away.

"Veronica?" Logan said quietly as he turned in his seat. They had just parked and he had turned the X-Terra off. "You ready to go?" he asked, briefly touching her cheek with his fingers.

Her eyes opened and she met his gaze. "Yes" she answered in a voice rough from crying. Logan smiled softly and kissed her lightly on the forehead. He got out and moved to where she was opening her door.

He looked as if he wanted to carry her again, but he just put his arm around her shoulders and led her to the pier.

His father's boat was docked a close by and it was stocked with enough supplies to last three or four days. He had planned to surprise Dick and Beaver with a trip this weekend.

They would definitely be surprised.

"Logan, how long can we stay?" Veronica asked as they walked. "I…uh…I don't want to face anyone for a while" she continued.

Logan smiled ruefully. "I always knew that I wasn't anyone" he snarked. Veronica only smiled weakly at his joke, but she pressed tighter to his side. "We can stay for as long as you like" he answered her question. "I have supplies for a few days and enough cash to buy more when we run out"

Veronica nodded seriously, and then smiled suddenly. "Not even _my dad_ can track me down at sea" she explained when he gave her a questioning look.

Logan laughed. "Let's hope so. I'd rather not have to face him with a gun out there" Veronica smiled her understanding and rested her head on his shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Veronica was just getting comfortable on the cushioned bench in the yacht's cabin when Logan walked back in. He had been getting ready to push out and had wanted Veronica to relax.

"We're ready to go" he said cheerfully, pausing at the door and looking down at her. His hair was ruffled from the wind and his cheeks flushed from working as fast as he could. There were a few smears of grease on his arms from checking out the engine. The black accented the muscles in his arms, making her eyes linger there.

He noticed her gaze and looked down at himself. "I was in a rush" he explained the greasewith a self-conscious smile. "I'll clean up when we're out there" He looked back up at her and Veronica's heart wrenched.

He was smiling at her in a way that he hadn't done in months; ever since they broke up. It was a tender and loving smile; one that she had only _ever_ seen him give her. Not Lily or Kendall, but her. When he gave her that smile it was if he trusted her completely. She had lost count of the times where she had betrayed him andthat smile.

Tears started to fall down her cheeks as she continued to look at him. She had hurt him so many hadn't trusted him; she hadn't stood by him and worked through their problems. She had run back to Duncan and her _normal_ life. She had forgotten that _she_ wasn't normal anymore.

That was the prison that Aaron had talked didn't trust anyone enough to love she wouldn't let them really love her either; at least not enough to reach her. That was why she had left Logan; he hadn't turned into an unassuming boyfriend that didn't push. He wasn't like Duncan. Logan wouldn't settle; not with her.

--------------

As Logan looked down at Veronica, she started crying. They were silent tears that didn't stop her from returning his look. They stared at one other as if they hadn't seen each other in months; and they hadn't, not really.

He tried to imprint the vision of her like this in his mind. Veronica, _open to him_. She was crying freely and leaving her emotions clear on her face for him to read. There was regret; regret and a new understanding of him. He hoped that she would use that understanding to trust him. He had needed her trust for a long time.

A sob shuddered through Veronica as she crashed.

Logan knelt down in front of her and took her into his arms. Her head went on his shoulder and she clutched at his waist. Logan held her close, stroking her hair again. The fruity smell of her shampoo reached his nose and he breathed it in deeply.

"I'm sorry Logan" Veronica gasped out, clutching at him tighter. "I'm so sorry"

Logan rocked her in his arms and listened to her words silently. He knew that she needed to get it all out. Veronica kept everything bottled up all the time; but he wanted her to let it all go when she was with him.

"I shouldn't have tried to make you settle" she said earnestly, pushing her face from his shoulder and looking up at him. "I should have trusted you enough to give you everything. I…I know that you would never have hurt me. Not then" she finished.

Logan looked at her in surprise. She was telling himexactly whathe wanted to hear: ever sincethey had broken was telling him that she trusted him, but he had a hard time believing it. Itwouldonly take a minute for her to run from him again.

Runningwas what Veronica did best. This time she was running from her mother's death; with him as the best escape route. But he didn't care anymore. If he only had an hour with Veronica then he would take it. He loved her too much not to.

He was going to settle. As that thought went through him he thought of something else she had said.

"What do you mean '_not then'_? I would _never_ hurt you" he said, his face drawing into angry lines.

Veronica's smile didn't reach her eyes. "You had _every right_ to be angry at me for notsticking withyou Logan" she said softly, putting a hand on his arm comfortingly. "I don't blame you for biting my head off these past months"

Logan's eyes widened. She meant the insults. He had teased her as mercilessly after the break-up, as he had before they had gone out. It had been a way to keep himself from begging her to take him back.

"I didn't mean to hurt you Veronica" he said honestly. "I just needed to stop myself from begging" He chuckled ruefully at the shocked look on her face. "I thought you would prefer the insults" he added.

-----------

Veronica was gaping at Logan, her mouth slightly parted in shock.

"Beg?" she said incredulously. "You don't beg"

Logan laughed and kissed her softly, taking her off guard. He pulled away before Veronica could respond to his lips. Her eyes drifted shut as she tried to focus.

_Logan had just kissed her_.

Her eyes reopened as she felt his hand cup her face. Their eyes locked as he took one of her hands with his free one. He brought it to his lips and held it there in a prolonged kiss. His eyes closed as he did it, the emotion on his face bringing fresh tears to her face.

"I'm begging _now_ Veronica" he said softly, his eyes opening again. He put her hand on his chest against his heart and let her feel the rapid beating of his heart. "Stay with me" he finished on a whisper.

"Always" she answered in her own whisper. She hadn't known she was going to say it until it came out. But she didn't regret it; not when it meant being with Logan. "I love you Logan"

Logan's eyes closed shut tightly at the words. A single tear fell down his cheek as he struggled for control. "Veronica!" he cried out gruffly as he gave in and kissed her.

Veronicathrew herself into the moment and kissed him back with all her heart. She had been with Duncan before, but it had been tame next to Logan. Passion had been one of the things that had frightened her about Logan; and had been disappointing about Duncan.

They were interrupted by the ring of Veronica's cell phone. Her head snapped back from Logan's and she moved quickly to answer it. It was in her pocket and she tried to get it open quickly.

She had forgotten about her cell; her father couldfind her by it because she had left it on. He had done it in the past.

"Hello?" she said as she finally got it open and to her ear.

"Honey?" her father's worried voice asked from the phone. "Are you okay?"

"Dad? Where are you?" Veronica asked, trying to control the panic that was starting to build in her stomach. She didn't want him to take her away; she wanted to stay with Logan. Veronica knew how her father felt about Logan; he had ever trusted him, not even when Lily was alive and the four of them were good friends.

"I'm on my way to get you Veronica" Keith answered in a reassuring voice. He didn't know how she felt about Logan and probably thought she wanted to be rescued.

"How close dad?" Veronica asked, a plan starting to work itself out in her mind.

"A few more miles and I'll be there"

"I won't be here dad. I'm staying with Logan for a while" she said in a rush. "I love you" she hung up the phone quickly and jumped from her seat. She looked at Logan earnestly. "You need to get us out of here" Logan understood the situation quickly and ran out to the deck. Veronica followed, moving to where the yacht was tied and working at the knot.

It was a simple enough knot, but her fingers didn't work right. She kept looking over her shoulder to make sure that her father wasn't coming. She didn't know what she would do if he caught her now.

By the time she had the boat free Logan was ready to go. "Come on" he said, holding his arm out to her for her to get back aboard. Veronica hesitated.

-------------------

Veronica hesitated and it took ten years off of his life.

Was she going to back out _now_? Had she suddenly changed her mind and decided to stay to greet her father? Those thought raced through his head in the few seconds that it took for Veronica to move.

She pulled her phone from her pocket and put it onto the post that she had just untied the yacht from. After making sure that it wouldn't fall in the water she grabbed Logan's arm and jumped into the boat.

The small craft rocked slightly at her weight and Logan held her to him until it stopped. Relief was coursing through his body. She was coming with him! He kissed her hard on the mouth once before releasing her to go start the yacht moving.

He didn't breath easily until he manoeuvred the yacht out of the small bay that held the docks. He pushed on the throttle and got them out of there as fast as he could. He knew that if they weren't into international waters soon, that the coast guard would catch up to them. He didn't plan on letting that happen.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Veronica looked out over the ocean and gasped as she watched the sunset. The bright orange orb was half into the water, looking as picturesque as any postcard she had ever seen.

Logan was up the stairs at the wheel of the yacht. He had told her a few hours ago that he knew somewhere that they could stop for the night. The smallcraft they were on wouldn't be able to last out on the open sea without someone staying up. It wasn't safe. Neither of them wanted him to stay up tonight.

Veronica hugged her arms to herself, feeling the cold night air all the way down to her bones. It was cold out on the water, and now with the sun setting, it would only get colder. Part of her wanted Logan to hurry and get them docked so that they could warm up in the cabin; but another part of her wanted it to take all night. She knew that they would be sharing the small fold-out bed in the cabin, and the thought made her nervous. She had only slept with one person her whole life and Logan had been with…more than that.

"Almost there" Logan called out to her from the wheel. Veronica blinked and refocused her eyes. The sun had set completely without her even noticing. She turned her back to the now almost completely dark view and looked up at Logan's back.

"I don't see anything" she called back to him.

She could hear his chuckle and saw him turn to look at her over his shoulder. "That's because you're not up here with me" he teased. There was just enough light left in the sky for her to see him wink at her.

Veronica's tension eased. Everything would be fine; Logan wouldn't pressure herinto something she wasn't ready for.

She smiled and climbed the stairs to join him at the helm.

---------

Logan could hear Veronica climbing the stairs behind him and smiled. He wanted her to see the view before they were too close to get the whole picture. They were about a mile away from the coast of Mexico and getting closer by the minute. He could see the lights of Ensenada already.

"Logan, where are we?" Veronica asked as she put an arm around his waist and nestled into him. He put an arm around her shoulders and glanced down at her. He hadn't told her where they were heading when they had started back in form international waters. He had pushed the yacht hard until they had made it out there, then they had coasted for a while. He had kept the boat headed in the right direction and relaxed. It wasn't that long of a trip; but they had gone pretty far out into the Pacific.

"That, my love, is where we are docking for a couple of days. Beautiful Ensenada awaits us" he finished by using his other arm to gesture theatrically at the coast. He was a taller, manlier Vana White for about two seconds. Veronica's laugh warmed his heart. "There's always a spot open to dock at Estero Beach. That's where we'll go"

He took back hold of the wheel and manoeuvred them in.

------------------

"I didn't know that you spoke Spanish" Logan said to Veronica as they waited in their seats at the local cantina. The place wasn't the nicest, but it wasn't a tourist spot either. They could go unharassed there. You never know how manytourists would recognize Aaron Echoll's son.

"It's easier to spy on people when they think that you can't understand them" Veronica explained with a grin. "So I kind of keep it to myself"

"Oh? Then I'm honoured that you would let me know" Logan retorted with his own grin.

Veronica laughed. "Don't be" she said, teasing him. "I can't use it against someone who doesn't speak Spanish"

Logan rolled his eyes exaggeratingly. They shared another laugh as their order was called. Logan went to get it.

Veronica looked around the area. They tables were more picnic tables then anything; with wooden benches along each side of the medium sized circle of the table. The wood was scarred but clean. The paint on the cantina was peeling, a faded light orange. There were a lot of people there to eat; people who lived in the area. You could tell from the clothes. They were normal; in a place where the tourists wore the bright colors of the Mexican culture.

Logan put her order in front of her and she dug in. She had chosen the chicken fajita and it was delicious. Logan had gotten a couple of tacos and some fries; not exactly trying out the local food too much. He ate the same food back in Neptune.

When they finished eating they walked back to the dock holding hands. It was really dark by then, but Veronica felt completely safe with Logan. She had seen him take down guys before. The memory that stuck out in her mind was when he had punched out that ATF agent for her. Seeing that guy with a messed up face the next day was…satisfying.

Veronica stopped Loganby stopping herself,and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him briefly. Logan's lips followed hers for a second after she pulled away. His head rose again. He gave her a bemused look.

"What was that for?" he asked her with a small smile.

"For being my hero" Veronica whispered to him meaningfully. Logan kept up their stare for another few seconds, his look heating. He broke off with a curse and had them moving again. Veronica laughed.

"I don't think that the locals would like it if we started up on their street" Logan muttered. Then he gave Veronica a mischievous smile "Or they'd like it too much" he said with an eyebrow wiggle.

Veronica laughed again, hitting Logan playfully on the arm.

-----------------

When they reached the Estero Beach docks, Logan picked Veronica up in his arms. She squealed out in surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck. She clung to him and giggled as he walked her down to the yacht. He lowered her slowly onto the boat when they reached it, not willing to risk jumping on with her in his arms. When she backed up he followed her onto the deck.

Veronica sat on the circular padded bench on the deck as the small craft rockedfrom Logan's jump. Logan laughed and joined her; putting his arms around her and pulling her close until she was sitting on him, her knees resting on either side of his hips.

Because she was sitting on him, their eyes were about level. He put a hand in her hair and closed his fist, catching the silky strands tightly. Veronica tilted her head back to relieve the pressure, exposing her neck. Logan took advantage of her position ruthlessly; nibbling and kissing her neck heatedly.

Veronica gasped and rocked on his lap, making Logan's head snap up and forcing a groan from his throat. His other hand had settled on her waist and he kneaded her flesh there. Logan let go of her hair and used his now free hand to join the other one at her waist. He rocked her once more; slowly.

"GOD!" Veronica gasped, her hands going to his shoulders, her nails digging in there. "Logan, the…_the cabin_" she said, another gasp catching her last words when he rocked her again, this time moving his own hips at the same time.

Logan growled out her name and lifted her off of him, planting her on the floor. Veronica's legs shook as she stood. Logan held on to her waist to steady her and his eyes took her appearance in.

Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes heavy. Her hair was mussed and fell around her shoulders, contrasting against the black of her tee. The tee was a little wrinkled from his arms, but was fitted to her body. His eyes took in the shape of her breasts in the shirt and his mouth watered. His eyes continued on to her jeans. They looked innocent enough, but he knew that they rode low on her hips, showing a lot of her stomach. His hand itched to pull the tee up and caress that skin. His hands were actually moving to do just that when he caught himself. He wasn't going to strip her when they were out in the open like this.

He would wait until they were in the cabin.

------------------

Veronica saw a grin spread across Logan's face and her breath caught. It was a smile of intent; sexy and dangerous. It was the kind of smile that would make a nun fan herself. A shiver went down her spine as she imagined what would happen when they went downstairs to the cabin.

She could already picture herself pulling his shirt up over his head. She had seen him without a shirt before, they had gone swimming, but it wasn't the same. This time she would be able to touch him.

She shota grin of her own his way and started backing up slowly, moving her body teasingly. She went up the stairs backwards, giving him seductive looks the whole time. When she reached the top she turned and opened the catch to the cabin, moving quickly so that she could be down there before he caught her.

She hurried down the steps and turned to watch him follow. He was moving slowly, a predatory glint in his eyes. Veronica's heart began to beat quickly and her hand pressed down at it. It felt as if it would leap right out of her chest.

"_Veronica_" his voice was rough with arousal.

Veronica laughed nervously and wagged a finger at him. "You'll have to pull the bed out first. Our first time won't be up against the wall of this boat's cabin" she said with a playfully lecturing tone to her voice.

Logan's grin came back at her words. "You're right" he said, his voice still hoarse. "That's for the third time"

Veronica's eyes closed as she processed that information. She could hear Logan setting up the little bed for them, opened her eyes when the noise stopped. Logan was just standing there looking at her. He noticed her eyes opening and his hand stretched out to her. She knew that this was his way of letting her decide. She could say no if she wanted to.

Thoughts raced through her mind as she watched him. What if this was a mistake? Her dad didn't like him; and neither did any of her friends, Wallace and Weevil being foremost on that list. What if they disapprove? Or drive them apart? It only took a few seconds of hesitation for Veronica to decide.

She went willingly into Logan's arms.

------------

The next morning was rainy and Veronica and Logan decided to spend the day on the yacht. They talkied and made love all day, only stopping to eat once. Each told the otherabout what had been happing in their lives for the past few months; Loganhaving anuncomfortable moment about Kendall and Veronica feeling self-conscious about Duncan.

"I don't think that Duncan is going to get over _this_" Logan said on a groan when they started talking about him. Logan had tried to push his best friend from his mind, but he was back now; and guilt was eating at his insides. It didn't help that he was tangled with Duncan's girl right at this moment. And he wasn't planning to detangle any time soon. They were squished together on the little bed, Veronica half on Logan, half off.

"No, he probably won't" Veronica said sadly. "I'm sorry Logan, I know how close you guys were" Veronica stroked a hand through Logan chest hair, petting him in an effort to comfort. Logan pressed her hand into his chest to stop her.

"Getting me hot while talking about it probably won't make me feel better" he snarked at her ruefully. He smiled at the ceiling and sighed. "Oh well, too late now" he said with mock sincerity, rolling her over and making love to her again.

The day went something like that until the Yacht's phone started ringing. They had been in the middle of making love and were too distracted to think it through before Logan automatically answered. He didn't bother moving from Veronica when he answered, moving slightly inside her.

"Yeah?" he said roughly, his breath laboured as he looked down at Veronica. He moved a little and had her gasping and clutching at his butt.

"Logan?" Dick's voice came through the phone, static marring the sound because it was long distance. Logan's head cleared a little and he gave Veronica a scared look. This could only mean one thing.

"Dick?" he said tensely. Veronica's eyes widened and she wriggled a little bit, wanting to get closer to the phone so she could hear. The movement sent ripples of reaction through both of them and Logan had to grit his teeth to keep from crying out loud.

"Logan, what the hell are you…" Dick started but was cut off. Logan could hear what sounded like a struggle for the phone.

"LOGAN?" Keith Mars' voice boomed out, making Veronica wince and fall back down on the bed. Logan made sure not to make a noise to alert Veronica's father of what they were doing. The man was probably going to kill him; and he didn't want to make it a certainty. "Where's Veronica?" Keith barked out.

"She's here Sheriff" Logan answered, automatically calling him by his old title. That Lamb guy had always seemed like such a dumb ass that Logan hadn't really thought of him as sheriff.

"Put her on then" Keith demanded. Veronica heard and shook her head frantically.

Logan looked at her panic and blurted out the first thing that came to his head. "She's busy"

"Busy doing what?" Keith yelled into the phone.

Logan's mind froze. He couldn't think of one thing that Veronica might be doing other than lying underneath him. When he didn't say anything Keith must have put two and two together and he roared in rage. Logan winced and held the phone from his ear as the older man yelled out curses. He didn't replace the phone until the sounds stopped.

"Sir?" Logan said nervously.

"PUT HER ON" Keith yelled, making Logan jump a little. This time he barely noticed the sensations that the movement gave.

Veronica sighed and took the phone. "Dad?" she said meekly.

"Veronica, what the hell were you thinking running off like that? Do you have any idea how worried I am right now? Where are you?" Keith said in an angry tirade.

"I needed some quiet after you told me about mom's…I needed to have some space from everyone" Veronica answered his first question slowly, wanting him to calm down. "I didn't want to worry you and I'm sorry. But I'm okay" she added hurriedly, not wanting to enrage him again. "And we're in Ensenada" she finished.

Logan groaned and rested his head against Veronica's neck. She made room for him and they settled comfortably as she positioned the phone again. Her father was talking. She stoked her free hand down Logan'd back as she listened

"…getting you in a few hours. Don't move" he finished.

"Dad, you shouldn't come" Veronica said quietly. "Logan and I will just take the boat back tomorrow and see yo…"

"No!" Keith cut her off. "You will wait there for me and not move until I get there, do you understand me?"

"Yes" she answered softly. "We're at the Estero Beach docks" she added.

When he hung up she turned the phone off and sighed, closing her arms around Logan. "We should start getting ready, he's coming. You probably should take off before he gets here" she said into his neck.

Logan lifted his head and looked at her incredulously. "You think that he'll ever let me see you again if I take off?" Logan asked her. Veronica started to speak but Logan kissed her quiet. "I love you too much to not try to get your dad's approval" he whispered.

They started getting ready an hour later.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Veronica stood on the dock in front of the yacht nervously. She had dressed quickly and had decided to wait for Logan outside. It was a lot later now, the sky having turned almost completely black. Estero Beach docks had large lights set up and that added with the lights coming from the yacht dispelled the darkness.

She had changed into clothes that Logan had bought for her in town. She was wearing a red peasant skirt that covered her thighs, but only teased her knees. She wore a loose white blouse over it, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She had a few colourful bracelets on her wrist instead of a watch; and flat sandals replaced her sneakers.

Veronica fidgeted with the folds of her skirt as she waited for Logan to join her. She had loved the clothes before, but was uncertain what her father would think about them. Would he just look at them as reminders of the fact that she had spent the night with Logan?

"What do you think?" Logan asked from behind her. Veronica turned and looked up, her breath catching.

Logan was standing on the yacht with one foot on the edge, getting ready to step off. He was wearing black slacks that were fitted like a uniform. He also wore a wife beater under shirt with a blood red shirt hanging loose over it. His hair was wet from the shower that they had shared earlier and curled a little.

"You look like a salsa dancer" Veronica blurted out, laughing at the disgusted look on Logan's face.

"It was either this or a shirt with palm trees printed on it" Logan grumbled to himself as he jumped to the dock next to her.

Veronica laughed again. "Do you have any gold chains to go with it?" she teased him. "You know, so your chest hair could curl around it?"

Logan snorted out a laugh and started buttoning up the shirt. He only got half way when he was interrupted.

"Veronica!" Keith called out from down the dock. He was jogging the distance between them and Veronica did the same. They met in a hug a few feet away from where Logan stood.

"Dad" Veronica said softly as the hug continued and Keith didn't show any signs of letting go.

""I'll let you go when I stop wanting to strangle you" Keith said back calmly, not moving. Logan heard him and chuckled. Keith's eyes snapped open and over to wear the young man was standing. He didn't move from the hug as he took in the clothes that Logan was wearing. "You look like a salsa dancer" Keith said bluntly.

Veronica burst out laughing as Logan groaned.

------------------

Keith made a point not to discuss the situation as they made themselves comfortable in the small dining area above deck. Logan and Keith sat facing each other across the table with Veronica between them. The silence hovered for a second as the two men stared at each other.

"You both may be wondering why I'm not angry" Keith said suddenly, making Veronica jump a little; Logan didn't flinch. Keith didn't wait for an answer. "I had a lot of time to think on the way here from Neptune. I realized that being angry wouldn't accomplish anything" He gave Veronica a pointed look. "It wouldn't make sure that you never worried me like this again; and it wouldn't make sure that you were okay"

Veronica started to cry then. She had expected her father to be pissed, but he was only worried about her. She felt so guilty for leaving like she had. Keith had probably been dealing with his own grief about Leanne and Veronica had only added to that.

-----------------

When Logan saw the tears start to fall down Veronica's face, he moved on instinct. Without thinking about how Keith would react, he shifted on his seat and took Veronica into his arms. Veronica went willingly, resting her head on his chest and letting go. Logan cradled her softly and smoothed her hair gently from her face.

Keith settled down in his seat and got Logan's attention. Inwardly wincing for acting so familiar with Veronica with her father right there, he looked at Keith. The older man was watching them with an approving look in his eyes. He nodded once at Logan to let him know that it was okay.

Logan closed his eyes again and continued to soothe Veronica.

-----------------

God they looked natural together.

That was all Keith could think as he watched his daughter being held by Logan Echolls; that and panic. He could see how much they meant to each other and it scared him to death.

A large reason why Keith had always liked that Veronica was going out with Duncan was because he knew that Duncan wasn't a threat. Veronica 'loved' him, but not enough to ruin her life over it. The two would date through high school and then probably drift apart in College. That was what most high school romances did; drift.

Keith wasn't so sure with Logan though. The younger man was a lot deeper then most people thought. Keith knew that Veronica was one of the few people that had ever seen the other side of Logan and he worried that what she saw was enough to throw her off.

Veronica was a bright and ambitious young woman that had always known that she wanted to get to school to complete her education. She had recently pushed ahead in the race for the valedictorian spot, and therefore the Kane scholarship. Everyone thought that she was a shoe in to win.

But would all that change if Logan wanted it to?


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Veronica shifted in her seat. They had been driving for a while already and her butt was starting to go numb. She looked out into the darkness as they sped through the Mexico. She couldn't see anything but the road where the car's headlights hit it.

She had wanted her dad to rest after the drive down, but he had insisted on them leaving the same night. He didn't want to stay on the yacht and hadn't been able to find a decent motel that had any vacancies. Veronica suspected that Keith just wanted to get back to Alicia.

They had just made up from their fight over Alicia's secrets and Keith's snooping. Apparently, the time apart had only made them stronger; at least that was what her dad told her. Veronica was just happy that her dad hadn't been still hung up on Leanne when she died. It was hard enough to deal now without having to worry about her dad being messed up.

Wallace had still not gone home. He had told Veronica that he needed some time to get to know his biological dad, and to find out if he would ever be able to trust his mother again. Veronica missed him, but knew that it was better for him to be gone right now. It was time for his needs to come first.

Keith passed a car on the highway and Veronica glanced over at him. The number of cars that they were passing was growing; that meant that they were getting closer to the border. No matter how late it was, there were always cars at the border.

Veronica knew that she would see Logan soon, probably tomorrow, but she still missed him. The closer they got to Neptune, the further she got from him. He had been forced to sleep on the yacht until the next day, not wanting to try to sail home in the dark. He had told her that he would phone as soon as he got in though, and that at least was hopeful.

Keith had seemed okay with her seeing Logan after, but Veronica still wasn't sure. It seemed like it was too easy after what they had done. And it definitely wasn't like her dad to give Logan the benefit of the doubt; he had never liked that she was dating him.

A jaw breaking yawn brought tears to her eyes as she shifted again in the car. If she was tired, then what was her dad going through? At least she had gotten some rest in the afternoon with Logan. Keith had probably not slept at all since veronica had left.

"Do you want me to take over?" she asked her father softly. Keith glanced over at her and seemed to think it over. Veronica almost winced at how sandy his eyes looked.

"After we cross the border" he answered finally, sighing.

She suddenly remembered the last time she had seem him like this. When Veronica had gone to the prom with Duncan, Lily and Logan they had been gone all night and her father had stayed up with the Kanes until she had gotten there. He had made the same sigh then too.

"I'm sorry dad" she whispered, guilt eating at her for doing this to him again.

Keith looked over at her and gave her a small smile. "It's okay Veronica" he whispered back. "This is what dads are here for" he put a hand on her shoulder gently as he spoke.

Veronica felt tears gather behind her eyes and blinked them back. "Only the good ones" she said quietly, moving to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Keith smiled and turned the radio on. "Oh, my favorite at 2 in the morning, salsa music" he joked as the high paced music pumped out of the speakers. "Oh, and that reminds me, what was with Logan's clothes? He couldn't find something a little less…flamboyant?"

Veronica chuckled with a mixture of amusement and relief. If he was joking then he had forgiven her for the most part. He gave the silent treatment when he was mad.

"Logan _is_ flamboyant" Veronica answered her father, laughing again at his groan.

"Great. You just _had_ to fall for a want-to-be salsa dancer?" Keith snarked. "What was so wrong with the cop?" he continued good-naturedly over her laugh.

After they passed the border, they switched positions, Veronica taking over the wheel. Keith was asleep almost as soon as his head touched the seat. Veronica turned the radio off so it wouldn't disturb him, even though she suspected that an atomic bomb wouldn't wake him up now.

She was smiling as she drove, thinking about Logan. She knew for sure now that her father would let her see him. He wouldn't have been joking around about it if it was otherwise.

That was the biggest obstacle that they had to climb and now it was passed. The next obstacle was Duncan. He wasn't going to take this well.

Logan lay awake in the small pull-out bed in the yacht. He looked up at the ceiling without really seeing it. The bed hadn't seemed so cramped and uncomfortable when Veronica had been in it.

Thoughts and memories about her were flashing through his mind.

_The sound she made the first time that they had joined. _

_The look in her eyes whenever he told her that he loved her. _

_The soft way her voice turned when she said it back._

Logan sighed and rolled over on his stomach, punching his thin pillow to try to get more comfortable. Staying up all night wouldn't get him to her more quickly tomorrow, he told himself sternly. All it would do is get him killed; sailing home half asleep wouldn't be bright.

He knew that they had a lot against them when they got back together at Neptune, but he wasn't worried. He loved her so much that nothing would stop him from being with her. Not her father, not _his_ father, and not Duncan.

He fell asleep a few minutes later with a smile on his face. He dreamt of Veronica.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Veronica's eyes opened slowly when she heard the door bell ring. She had a brief moment where she almost rolled over and ignored the sound; but she knew that her dad was at Alicia's and if she didn't answer it no one would.

She was lying in her bed where she had been sleeping since she had gotten in. By the time they had reached Neptune it had been 5 in the morning and she had been dead tired. Her father had dropped her off and left for Alicia's house quickly. Apparently he had a key now. Veronica had known how tired she was when _even that_ couldn't get a few jibes out of her. She had mumbled something about that being cute as she stumbled inside.

Her father had gotten his second wind in the two hours that he had slept with Veronica driving. Otherwise, she wouldn't have let him drive anywhere. The drive had had the opposite affect on Veronica; she barely made it to her bed before she fell asleep.

And now, four hours later, she was getting up to answer the door with the same clothes that she had been wearing before. The blouse had worked loose from her waist as she had slept, and the sleeves had rolled down to cover her forearms. It was wrinkled horribly. The skirt was fine though, it swirled around her legs as she walked.

Veronica put a hand to her hair and finally noticed that it had fallen out of the ponytail she had put it in on the drive home. It wasn't too tangled, but it was still wild around her shoulders. She made sure that it was pushed out of her face before she answered the door.

It was Duncan.

------------------

When Logan finally got back to the docks at Neptune, it was two o'clock. He would have been there earlier but had woken up late. He still couldn't believe that he had wasted time dreaming of Veronica when he could be with her in person.

Logan rushed to get the yacht taken care of. He needed to make sure that it was secured properly before he left, but he wanted to just go.

He pictured Veronica waiting for him near the door of her apartment and smiled. He knew that she probably would still be sleeping, or busy with something else, but he still like the thought of Veronica waiting anxiously for him. That would mean less time spent getting to her, and more time kissing her.

Logan's smile was still stretched across his face as he walked to where his X-Terra was sitting. It didn't last long though. It would have been a little hard for him to smile with Weevil's fist connecting to his face like it did.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

"Duncan" Veronica gasped out in surprise. She couldn't help but feel like an idiot for not expecting him to show up. She had been incommunicado for two days with _her_ ex, _his_ best friend. If he had done something like that she would have tracked him down and shot him.

"We need to talk Veronica" he said with his voice hard with anger. She looked briefly at his face and her heart fell. He was hurt; the anger didn't cover it as much as she would have hoped it to.

Veronica sighed and moved back to let Duncan walk inside. If he was going to shoot her, then she should probably keep it in the apartment.

"Jesus Christ" Logan swore loudly as he nearly fell down from the punch to his face. He lifted a hand to his mouth and looked down at it. There was blood on his fingers. The sight of it had his anger heating quickly. He had been looking for an excuse to beat the shit out of Weevil. "Look no further" he muttered underneath his breath as he advanced slowly.

"Stop right there Echolls" Weevil said menacingly.

Logan laughed lightly. "And why would I do that?" he asked lightly, still moving. The little man had about ten seconds to give a good explanation before Logan turned his face into ground beef.

"I came here to talk to you" Weevil answered, his words finally stopping Logan in his tracks.

"Talk?" he said incredulously. "You call _this_…" he gestured to his mouth. "…talking?"

Weevil looked down at his feet for a second with a sheepish smile. "I got carried away. I apologize" His eyes weren't apologizing though. Logan could see that Navarro was mad as hell at him. And he decided to wait to beat the crap out of him until he found out why.

"So talk" Logan said shortly, walking past Weevil for the few steps it would take him to reach his car. He leaned up against the driver's side door and looked at Weevil expectantly.

Weevil smiled briefly at the arrogance that Logan was showing. Logan answered the smile with a salute and continued to wait impatiently.

"I want you to stay away from Veronica" Weevil said finally. Logan straightened, his face losing all traces of humor. Weevil continued to talk, ignoring Logan's reaction. "I should have protected her from you a long time ago, but I _assumed_ that Duncan would take care of it" he smirked. "I was obviously mistaken"

"And why exactly would you take this…_responsibility_ on yourself?" Logan asked between gritted teeth. He couldn't believe the audacity of the man. Where the hell did Weevil get off telling him to stay away from Veronica? A rush of jealous anger poured through him; if Weevil felt…toward Veronica…Logan's fist's clenched and he had to stop himself from lashing out.

"Because I am the only one that sees that she needs someone to watch out for her" Weevil answered simply. "And if no one else is going to make sure that you don't fuck with her again, _I_ will" he finished, giving Logan a look that meant business.

"Maybe she likes it when I…_fuck with her_" Logan retorted acidly.

Weevil laughed ruefully, glancing away and then looking back. He rubbed a hand over his bald head as began to speak. "See, that's exactly what I'm talking about" he said. "Veronica doesn't need your stupid comments; your little _jokes_. You have been attacking her since Lily's death, and she used to hold her own, but now you need to back off"

"What? You don't think that Veronica can hold her own?" Logan asked, unbelieving. "She has always given as good as she got" he repeated the words that he had thought to himself a month ago. But as he said it, he remembered how she had changed after they had broken up. No more snippy comments from her after that.

"That was before" Weevil said in exasperation. "Her mother is _dead_"

"I know that" Logan spat back. "I'm helping her through it" he defended himself. Logan suddenly felt like he was convincing himself along with Weevil. He knew that he wanted to be with Veronica more than anything; but he wasn't sure if that was what was best for Veronica.

"Helping her through it?" Weevil said, pronouncing each word slowly. "If I can remember correctly, your way of getting _through it_, is drinking until you forget your own name. Is that what you plan on getting Veronica to do?"

"No" Logan answered shortly. "I plan on holding her when she needs to cry, just like she did for me when my mother died" Logan said seriously.

Weevil's eyes widened in surprise. Logan smiled without humor. Weevil probably never saw that one coming; not the heartless Logan Echolls admitting that he has cried.

"If your worried because I took off with her, don't be" Logan continued. "She needed some space from everything that was happening, and I gave it to her. I would never have taken her if she hadn't asked me to" he finished.

Weevil obviously didn't know what to say to Logan after that. He opened his mouth, but closed it again without speaking. Logan laughed and took his keys out to unlock his car door. He didn't turn to look at Weevil until he had the door open and was about to get in.

"Oh, and you better avoid Veronica for a while" he said with a mischievous smile. "I plan on telling her about this…" he motioned to his mouth with his free hand. "…and she may be upset with you"

Weevil smirked at Logan as he got into the X-Terra. When Logan was settled and had rolled down his window, Weevil spoke. "Hiding behind your woman?" he snarked good naturedly.

Logan laughed again, happy to have people calling Veronica his woman. "When its Veronica I am" he answered back, starting up his SUV's engine and driving away. He looked in his rearview window and watched as Weevil moved to where his bike had been hidden from sight. His smile didn't fade until he saw Duncan's car in her parking lot.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

Veronica sat on the far left of her couch, and Duncan sat on the far right. Neither of them said anything.

They had been like this for ten minutes now and Veronica was starting to wonder if Duncan was ever going to say anything. She knew the he was upset over what she had told him, but he still hadn't said anything; and I mean nothing.

She glanced over at him and then went back to looking at her feet. He was staring out into space, his hands braced onto his knees. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, but she was a little scared. She knew that on at least one occasion his epilepsy had manifested itself in uncontrollable violence. He was a strong guy, and Veronica wasn't sure what she would do if he freaked out on her.

After she had let him inside he had sat down and looked at her expectantly. He hadn't talked as she had explained why she had left with Logan. He hadn't asked any questions when she told him that she wanted to be with Logan now. Duncan hadn't even flinched when she told him the she didn't love him anymore. And by that point she had been trying to get a reaction out of him.

Veronica was about to speak again when there was an urgent knock on the door. She frowned and was about to get up, when Duncan rose silently from his seat. She looked over at him in surprise and froze.

He was finally showing some reaction; pure rage.

Logan waited impatiently at the door after he knocked. He was about to knock again when the door was ripped open. Duncan stood was wearing an argyle sweater over a pair of jeans and Logan almost smiled at how dorky his friend was; ...ex-friend. The urge to smile faded as he noticed Veronica behind Duncan, standing next to the couch. Her eyes were wide with fear.

Logan looked back at Duncan grimly. For one second their eyes met and an understanding passed between them:

Duncan had been waiting for Logan, and he was here.

Logan had come for Veronica, but Duncan was in his way.

Logan could hear Veronica scream as they lunged toward each other. He didn't hear or see anything but Duncan after that.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

Veronica screamed instinctively when they went after each other.

She didn't think that she would ever live it down. Her, Veronica Mars, screaming like a girl; it was embarrassing. If anyone found out about it, she would lose her reputation as a hard-ass.

Fortunately, it didn't seem like Logan had noticed. At least…he hadn't said anything about it yet.

They were sitting on her couch, Logan pressing a wet cloth to his nose to stop the bleeding. She was cleaning up his hand, it having been messed up pretty bad from the fight. Veronica couldn't help but remember a few months back when Logan had been there nursing other bruises. She hoped that this wasn't going to become a habit of his.

"Shit!" Logan hissed out, moving his hand away from Veronica quickly when she put antiseptic on it. He gave her a reproving look and only slowly moved his hand back. Veronica chuckled lightly at how much of a baby he was being.

"What's so funny?" he grumbled at her, wincing at the pain from his busted lip when he spoke.

"At how much of a baby your being" she answered bluntly, a smile teasing the corners of her lips. It always seemed funny to her that men acted oblivious to pain while fighting, but blubbered at the clean up.

"I'm not the one that screamed" Logan snarked back at her as he replaced the cloth to his nose and tilted his head up a little.

Veronica groaned, her eyes closing. Just her luck, he had heard it. She could hear Logan chuckle and her eyes cut to him, narrowing.

"I was surprised" she defended herself.

"Kind of like when that shit…" he motioned to the bottle of antiseptic. "…touched my cuts?" he asked with a raised eyebrow at her.

Veronica swallowed a laugh at how ridiculous he looked. He had blood staining the front of his shirt, a cloth pressed to his nose, his head tilted back, and he was giving her his best arrogant look. And if it weren't for the fact that he looked like a truck had ran over him, he would have been pulling it off.

"You're right" she said, trying to sound serious. "I shouldn't have laughed at you" she apologized to him.

"I know you shouldn't" Logan said, his eyes twinkling. "But I'll forgive you"

Veronica did laugh then, amazed at how they were acting. Duncan had freaked outfifteen minutes ago and attacked Logan; and now they were making jokes? The benefits of loving a man like Logan.

The door burst open, making them both look up at the same time in surprise.

Keith burst through the door and his eyes glanced quickly around the room, spotting where they sat. They looked fine, except for a few bruises and some blood on Logan that is. Keith took a deep breath and let it go slowly.

He had called on his cell phone by Lamb; a courtesy call to let Keith know that a fight had broken out at his apartment. The sheriff hadn't thought that it was necessary to tell Keith the details, but had only laughed arrogantly and had hung up. Keith had barely taken the time to say goodbye to Alicia before he ran out the door.

Even without details, Keith had known that it had had something to do with Duncan. The young man had phoned Keith an hour before, wanting to know if Veronica was alright. Keith had told the young man that Veronica was fine, but she was tired and he would have to see her tomorrow.

Something in the way that Duncan had sounded had worried Keith, but he had dismissed it. Duncan after all had always acted like a gentleman to Veronica. The one that Keith had always had to watch for was Logan.

But as Keith looked at Logan and Veronica sitting on the couch, Veronica holding one of Logan's hands, Keith thought that he would have to change his perspective.

"Dad!" Veronica said with the shock evident in her voice. Logan had to stop himself from trying to hide the evidence of his fight with Duncan. From the way that Keith had come in, Logan would have to assume that the man already knew about it.

"Mr. Mars" Logan said respectfully, his words muffled a little bit because the cloth was too near his mouth. He moved it and repeated his words.

Keith winced as he saw the damage on Logan's face. "Jesus, Logan. You let Duncan do this to you?" he asked, his tone commiserating and reproving at the same time. He moved over to where Logan was still sitting and inspected him.

"You should see the other guy" Logan joked weakly, feeling uncomfortable because he didn't know what he was supposed to say. Keith had given his blessing for the relationship, but Logan didn't want to push it too much. And he couldn't help but think that getting into a fight on the man's front step might be pushing.

"I'm going to hope that he isn't this bad" Keith said with a rueful smile. "Otherwise, the Kane lawyers will be having a field day"

"It was Duncan's fault" Veronica jumped in quickly defending Logan. Logan smiled over at her slightly. He would give her a kiss, but it would hurt a lot, and probably piss Keith off. "He came over, and then waited for Logan. He didn't even say anything when Logan got here; he just jumped him" Veronica continued in a rush.

"Then what?" Keith asked, his face not giving anything away. Logan stayed silent; he knew that Veronica would want to handle it.

"Well, they fought, and…then Lamb showed up" she answered her father simply. "He broke it up and took Duncan with him when he left"

Logan looked at Veronica incredulously. She had completely omitted the fact that the sheriff had threatened jail time to Logan, but had only backed off when Veronica had mentioned that putting Logan there would mean putting Duncan there too. Lamb hadn't seemed too thrilled with that idea and had just left instead. Logan wasn't really sure where he had taken Duncan, but it was probably to a doctor. And Logan would bet his car that a phone call to the Kanes had been made pretty quickly.

Keith was giving Veronica a suspicious look and Veronica was returning it with a completely innocent one. After another moment Keith sighed, rolling his eyes as he moved away to the kitchen.

Logan closed his eyes in relief and checked his nose again to see if it was still bleeding.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

"Do you need any help getting home Logan?" Keith asked as Logan was getting ready to leave. It was twelve at night and Logan knew that if he didn't leave now, he would regret it in the morning. He had to go to school and the new series of bruises on his face wouldn't make that too enjoyable as it was; getting no sleep would just put the icing on the cake.

Keith had been nice enough to invite Logan for supper, and had hardly laughed at all when Logan's swollen knuckles had forced him to be fed by Veronica. Logan knew that if he had been in the other man's shoes, he would have milked it for all it was worth.

"No thanks Keith, I'll make it" Logan said lightly as he shrugged into his jacket. Another bright moment of their shared meal was when Keith had told Logan to call him by name. From what Logan knew, and by the look on Veronica's face, no other boyfriend had been given that right.

"You better phone when you get there, just in case" Keith said as he followed Logan to the door. Logan smiled at the concern that Veronica's father was showing him. After eating, all three of them had vegged out on the couch watching movies. Veronica had been disgusted in the two men's shared appreciation for all of the die hard movies.

Veronica had fallen asleep halfway through the third movie, 'with a vengeance' and had nestled into Logan's shoulder as the blasts and gunshots of the movie had bounced around the room. She was still lying there now; Logan had settled her down gently as he and Keith had gotten up.

"It might wake Veronica" Logan said softly as he glanced at her from his place at the door. He couldn't help but let his face soften as he took in the picture that she made on the sofa. Her fist was pressed under her cheek and her hair framed her face. Her body was covered by the light blanket that Keith had smoothed on her when they had gotten up.

Keith followed Logan's gaze and smiled softly. "When she wakes up she'll want to know that you're safe" he said as he met Logan's eyes again. "Phone"

The last word was an order and it brought a grin to Logan face. He snapped into a straight posture and brought his hand up in a neat salute. Keith's chuckle was the sound that followed Logan to his car as the door closed.

Veronica was rushing to get out of the house the next morning. If she wanted to catch the bus she would have to hurry. Her father had been so busy looking for her, that he hadn't thought to bring her car from school; hence the rush to the bus.

She wouldn't be so worried about being late, she had been late before, but she wanted to get to Logan as soon as she could. She hadn't been able to say goodbye the night before and couldn't wait to kiss him. She hadn't had a chance to really do that all yesterday. But she figured that his lip would be better by now, and that they would skip at least one class to meet in the girl's bathroom.

She grabbed her bag and hurried out the door, turning to lock it behind her. She had just taken her key back out of the door when a hand grabbed her upper arm roughly and turned her around on her heel.

Veronica gasped in a breath as she whirled around and saw Duncan standing there, his face a blue and purple mask of anger. She dimly registered the damage that Logan had done the night before, but most of her attention was on Duncan's eyes; they were untouched and burning down at her.

"Duncan" she gasped out in a mixture of shock and fear. "What are you doing?" she asked in a tight voice. She felt panic slide down her spine but tried to control it. Freaking out now wouldn't help her at all; it might only enrage Duncan further.

"Taking what's mine" he answered her harshly, jerking her arm and forcing her to follow him to his car. Veronica dug in her heels to try and stop their steady progress but her struggles had little affect. She swore at her small stature and grabbed at Duncan's hand.

"What do you mean?" she asked him, trying her best to postpone the time when he would have her in his car.

Duncan stopped and looked down at her. He used his other hand to grasp her other shoulder and leaned down to kiss her hard. Veronica gasped for breath and tried to twist away from him, but he only pushed harder, until she moaned at the pain and her head fell back. Veronica deliberately dropped her keys as she moaned, hoping that the sound would block the jingle of the keys hitting the ground. Duncan lifted his head and looked at her for another second before moving again.

Veronica was dazed. She could feel the blood dripping from where he had cut her lip with his roughness. She felt bruised and weak, not knowing what she would do. But she didn't stay that way; as soon as she saw how close they were top his car, she started fighting again. But this time she made noise too.

Her screams echoed in the small courtyard with Duncan's muttered curses accenting them. He finally just threw her over his shoulder and ran to where his car was parked, opening the back door and throwing Veronica in. He quickly got out two pairs of handcuffs and pulled her arms behind her back, locking them in place. He attached the second pair to her ankles quickly, subduing her kicks easily.

After that he threw a blanket over her and slammed the door shut. Veronica could hear him move to the driver's seat and start the car. By the movement of the car, she knew that he was moving fast. Veronica just hoped that it wasn't too fast for someone to have seen him.

She had a hard time breathing and knew that if she didn't calm down she would black out. She started concentrating on the air moving in and out of her lungs, using a yoga technique that she had learned in PE once. After she had calmed herself down, Veronica started to pull at the cuffs.

She noticed two things about them right off. One, they had some kind of soft fuzzy covering around them, as if Duncan had bought them at some kind of sex shop. And two, they were made to keep closed. There was no way that she would be able to force them open without cutting her wrists up, and maybe not even then.

Veronica started to pay attention to the motions of the car then, trying to sense how fast Duncan was going. If he was speeding, he might get pulled over. That was all that Veronica could hope for at the moment, not knowing for sure if anyone had witnessed the abduction itself.

But as Duncan slowed for a red light, Veronica realised that Duncan was too smart for that. He was probably driving five miles an hour under the speeding limit, just in case. The panic that Veronica had tamped down just a little while ago came back to the surface and she started screaming again.

"Help me! Some one please!" she yelled out. She heard Duncan curse, then the radio was turned on full blast. Veronica was suddenly unable to hear her own yells, and started to cry helplessly. No one would hear her cries now.

Logan waited next to Veronica's locker as the first bell rang. He had been waiting there for twenty minutes and he was starting to worry now. He knew that she was probably just late, but something made his inside freeze at her absence.

He was just about to phone her cell to see what was going on when he was interrupted.

"Mr. Echolls" Clemmons said in his annoying little drawl. Logan's shoulders slumped a little as he turned. He didn't have time for this crap, the bad feeling that he had about Veronica was intensifying by the moment.

"Mr. Clemmons, just the man I wanted to see" Logan said, thinking quickly. The other man's eyebrows rose up at Logan's words. "Can you tell me if Veronica Mars has called in her absence today?" he asked.

Clemmons frowned. "I don't see how that would be any of your business Logan" he said with a suspicious look.

"Is she here?" Logan asked, not taking the obvious hint that Clemmons was giving to back off.

"I don't track down Veronica's whereabouts normally" Clemmons answered acidly as he started to turn away. "If you're not in your class in five minutes you will be getting a detention"

Logan felt desperation flow through him. He had to know if Veronica was in danger or if he was just imagining it. He ignored the order that Clemmons had just given him and phoned Veronica on his cell.

It rang and rang without an answer, going to the voice mail. Logan knew that if she was in class she would have turned her cell off and it would have gone directly to the message, and if she was able to she would have answered. He quickly phoned the number to Keith's office, hoping that someone would answer the phone.

"Mars investigations" Keith answered on the second ring. Logan took a deep breath in relief and felt some of his panic alleviate. If there was anything wrong, Keith would be doing something about it.

"Keith, it's me" Logan said. "Do you know where Veronica is?' he asked in a rush, wanting to confirm it quickly.

"Logan?" Keith asked in confusion. "What do you mean where is Veronica? She should be in school"

Logan's stomach knotted. "She isn't here and she isn't answering her cell" he said as he tried to hold on to his calm.

There was a silence on the phone. "She's probably fine Logan" Keith said finally. "She must have forgot her cell at home that's all"

"That doesn't explain why she isn't here" Logan returned.

"She probably just missed the bus. I bet that she'd walking in right now" Keith said, but Logan thought that his voice had lost some of its confidence.

"I'll go and see if I can find her" Logan said as he started walking back to the parking lot entrance. He was going to find her and make sure that she was safe or he would lose his mind worrying.

"You should stay in school Logan, I'll go get her" Keith said.

Logan shook his head a little and smiled. "I'll see you there" he said briefly and hung up the phone. He was just to the door when he heard Clemmons call out to him. He didn't stop moving but turned and walked backwards instead.

"Seeya later" he called out with a smile. Logan could see Clemmons' face turn red in anger.

"If you see Duncan and Veronica, you tell them that they will be joining you in detention for the next week" Clemmons called out.

Logan stopped dead in his tracks. Duncan wasn't in school either?

Logically, Logan could understand that Duncan might be staying home from school because of the beating he had taken, or because his girl had just dumped him. Either scenarios were completely believable, but he discarded both of them. Something told him that Duncan had Veronica.

He ran to his car as he redialled Keith's number and hoped that Veronica's father hadn't left yet.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

Veronica didn't know how long that she had been in Duncan's car, but she didn't think that it had been too long; maybe an hour or so. An hour was long enough to make her body cramp up because of her position. She didn't think that she would be able to move her legs if she had a chance to.

Her cell had ringed once earlier on then stopped, but Duncan couldn't hear it because of how loud the radio was. If it hadn't been for the slight vibrations that it had made against her stomach, Veronica wouldn't have heard it either. Her cell was in her jacket pocket, and she wanted to make sure that it stayed there.

Veronica was happy that Duncan hadn't heard the phone go off, because he knew that her father would be able to track her from the cell. For the moment it seemed like he had forgotten, but she didn't want to jog his memory.

That was the only reason that she had stopped crying. Because she knew that her dad would find her. All it depended on now was how long it would take for people to realize that she was gone.

Veronica was depending on Logan for that.

Logan swore as the machine came on at Keith's office. He had already left to go find Veronica. Logan would have phoned Keith's cell, but he didn't know the number. He swore again as he sped away in his SUV. He needed to get to Veronica's house before Keith left.

Logan had to speed through half of Neptune before he got there and he prayed the whole way.

When Logan pulled up to the complex he was relieved to see that Keith was just getting out of his car.

"Keith!" Logan called out as he got out of his SUV. Keith paused and looked over, smiling wryly when he saw who it was. Logan jogged over to where Keith was standing.

"Duncan isn't at school either" Logan said right away. Logan knew that he might be over reacting but he didn't care. He didn't want to wait and see if Keith was right; all he cared about was that Keith know the threat she _might_ be in.

Keith's smile dropped away when he heard the news and he started to walk faster to his door. Logan was just about to follow when he kicked something and heard a jingle. He looked down and he almost threw up.

Veronica's keys were lying afew inchesaway from his foot.

"Keith" he tried to call out, but his throat was choked and the word could only rasp out of him. Keith must have heard it anyway because he turned to look at Logan curiously. Noticing Logan's gaze, Keith followed it down to where Veronica's keys were.

Veronica almost cried out when the radio was suddenly turned off. Her ears had slowly adjusted to the harsh noise, and it was a shock to hear the almost complete silence. The quiet only lasted for a minute though; Duncan was soon getting out of the driver's seat and moving to the rear door.

Veronica held her breath as the door opened. The breath was expelled quickly when the blanket that was covering her was torn away. She blinked from the bright light that hit her eyes.

"Come on Veronica" Duncan said in a gentle voice. Veronica wasn't sure if Duncan's new calmness was better or worse then the anger from before. Both of them scared the hell out of her.

Veronica turned her head and looked up to where Duncan was standing near her feet. He had ducked his head into the door and was crouching over her, his hands near her ankles. Veronica whimpered and tried to evade his touch. It didn't work. Duncan caught her feet and held them firmly as he fumbled with a set of keys.

Veronica realised that he was going to undo the handcuffs on her ankles and stopped fighting. Even though the cuffs were padded, they had still hurt; and having to hold her body in that position hadn't helped much either.

When Duncan moved her legs up to get to the lock Veronica couldn't help but cry out at the pain. She closed her eyes tight and tried to stop herself from crying. She didn't think that she would be able to stop if she got started up.

"I didn't want to hurt you Veronica" Duncan said softly as he gently laid her legs down again.

Veronica thought that her legs were free, but she couldn't tell. She moved one leg a little and it went far enough from the other leg to confirm it.

"See?" Duncan said eagerly. Veronica looked at him again. He had a small smile on his face. "I'm going to help you" he continued. Veronica felt a chill go down her spine. Duncan didn't seem to realise that whatever pain she was in was his fault.

It was worth a try to talk some sense into him. It would be better now then when he was angry again. And Veronica didn't doubt that he would be angry again; because she didn't plan on giving into what he wanted.

"If you want to help me, then let me go" Veronica said with her voice raspy from her earlier screams.

Duncan frowned at her. "No" he said simply and lifted her from the seats.

"Logan, phone the sheriff and tell him everything that you know" Keithordered brisklyas he walked quickly to where his car was parked. "Tell him to call my cell and I'll tell him where to go"

Logan walked next to Keith and shook his head at the words. He knew what Keith was going to do; track Veronica by her phone. What Logan wasn't planning on letting Keith do, was go alone.

"I'm going with you" Logan said as he moved to the other side of the car and opened the passenger side door. Keith opened his mouth as if to say something but shutit and got in too.

Neither of them said anything as Keith programmed his GPS system to locate Veronica's phone. It took a minute but when it was ready, Keith smiled.

"I've got her" he said as he turned his car on and sped out of the lot.

Logan buckled his seat belt and smiled humourlessly. This time he was going to make sure that Duncan left Veronica alone for good.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

Duncan settled Veronica over his shoulder gently when he had pulled her from the car's backseat. Veronica didn't try to fight. She had no idea if her legs would hold her even if she did get away, and she didn't want to waste her energy.

And if Duncan thought that she was libel to run he would be more alert after. She would wait for the right time.

She _did _look around to try and find out where they where though. She lifted her head from where it was bumping along Duncan's back and tried to focus her eyes. All she could see was trees. That had her panicking for a minute, wondering if Duncan had taken them further then she had thought. Then she saw the Lake and the mountains.

They were somewhere in the San Bernadino Mountains.

She only knew that because her dad had dragged her and her mom camping here one year. Lianne had hated it but Veronica had loved the view. Veronica had spent the whole time taking pictures of the mountains. When they had gotten back from the trip Veronica had talked Lily and Duncan's ear off about it.

"Duncan?" Veronica rasped with her throat still sore. Duncan faltered in his steps at the sound of her voice but continued on.

"Yes Veronica?" he answered softly.

"Are we in the San Bernadino Mountains?" she asked for confirmation. She wondered if he had planned for her to know where they were. If so, then he must be confident that she can't get to help. That worried her.

"You noticed!" Duncan exclaimed, his voice showing excitement. "I wanted you to be comfortable, and I remembered how much you liked it here" Just as he was finishing his sentence he started climbing some steps. Veronica craned her neck to see where he was headed and her breath caught.

It was a cabin. And it was completely isolated.

"Where is she?" Logan asked Keith as they drove north out of Neptune. He was starting to become less confident about finding her now that they were on their way. What if Duncan knew that Veronica could be tracked by her cell if it was on? He could be sending them on a wild goose chase.

"From what I see here, she is somewhere in the Angeles National Forest" Keith answered distractedly. He was focusing completely on the road. Logan could tell that Keith was worried too, and that was why he was so fixated on the road. It took the mind off of what could be happening to Veronica right now.

"That's a huge area. Can you narrow it down anymore?" Logan asked as he tried to think of how big the park actually was.

Keith glanced over at him and all of his anxiety showed in his eyes. Logan suddenly realized that even with how much he had been worried before, it didn't compare with now. If Keith was panicking…

"Only when we get closer" Keith bit out as he refocused on the road. Logan stopped talking then. He didn't want to make this any worse for Keith and he was sure that that was exactly what he was doing.

"I am going to let you go now Veronica" Duncan said as he stopped in front of a large bench on the wraparound porch. "Don't try to run, because you won't get far and you might hurt yourself" After he said it he waited for Veronica's answer.

Veronica considered being pissy about it, but realized that it would only hurt her chances of escaping later. She needed Duncan to trust her. "I won't run Duncan" she said in her most defeated tone. A person who was considered beaten wasn't watched as closely.

And Veronica would do everything she could to get away. She had almost broken down during the car ride, but now that they were in a different setting she was getting her strength back; and her sanity.

Duncan lowered her slowly onto the bench, careful of her sore legs. Veronica gritted her teeth to keep from crying out again and let a few silent tears squeeze out from her lids. She knew that Duncan was watching and she wanted him to be feeling guilt for what he did.

"I'm sorry Veronica" he whispered as he crouched in front of her. Veronica opened her eyes and looked at him without emotion. Duncan made a move to wipe the tears from her cheeks and she flinched. He drew his hand back with a grimace and a determined look in his eyes. "But I had to do it" his voice took on a stronger tone and he lost what little regret that had shown on his face.

"Why?" she asked simply as he stood up.

Duncan looked at her for a few beats before answering. "Because you belong to me, not Logan. If you stay with him you'll only get hurt again" he answered her and then started fumbling with a set of keys that he pulled from his pocket. He turned to the door and unlocked it, leaving Veronica on the bench.

"Can you take the handcuffs off?" Veronica asked, not wanting to talk about his reasons anymore. She knew that he wouldn't listen, so didn't try. All she could do now was try to get away.

Duncan glanced at her as he opened up the cabin. "I can't do that yet" he answered her simply.

That only made Veronica think of what she would have to do to get them off.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Veronica walked gingerly in through the now open door. She blinked her eyes and tried to adjust to the darkness of the cabin. As she began focusing, the layout of the small room became apparent.

There was a small fireplace directly across from the door on the other side of the cabin. A cozy-looking sofa was in front of it and it had a quilt thrown over the back of it. Veronica could see two other doors leading…somewhere on the right of the sofa. On the left was a tiny kitchen that only had a stove oven and a lime green fridge that looked like it was from the sixties. The linoleum on the counters was peeling around the edges.

"Rustic" Veronica commented under her breath. Duncan nudged her further inside with his hands as she paused in the doorway. The reason she was here came back to her in a rush and she walked quickly to the sofa and sat, facing away from Duncan.

"Veronica" he said, his voice chiding. "You can't just pretend that I don't exist" He closed the door and locked it behind him.

Veronica heard the sound and turned. The door had the type of lock the needed a key on both sides. Her eyes glanced around the cabin, looking for other ways out. Her spirits sank as she realized that the windows had bars on them. That meant that she was stuck here until Duncan opened the door, or she stole the key from him.

Duncan noticed where her eyes had travelled and smile slowly at her, moving to the small kitchen. He opened the fridge door and looked inside, nodding once before closing it again. "The men who installed the bars thought I was nuts" he explained to her with the smile remaining. "Everyone knows that there aren't any bears in this area, but what the city boy pays for…he gets"

Veronica's mind spun with the implications of his words. "But that must have taken a while to do. Why…" she trailed off as she looked into his eyes; they were shining in triumph. His smile had grown into a huge grin.

"I knew what was going to happen before you did" he answered her unfinished question. "You've been acting strangely for almost a month and I suspected that you were on the brink of making a mistake. I made the decision to set this place up when I found out that you had gone to see Aaron Echoll's"

'How did you find that out?" Veronica asked incredulously.

"I had someone investigate you a while after your visit. Vincent Vanlowe is a very accommodating man" Duncan answered. He moved toward Veronica.

Veronica swore under her breath. She had known that Vanlowe was scum, but this was going too far. When she got out of this she would have his ass. "But why would you investigate me at all?" she asked, scooting back on the sofa. Her back was pressing up against the far end of the sofa to put as much space between her and Duncan. He sat on the other side, not seeming to want to pressure her too much.

"I told you Veronica, you were acting strange" he answered her calmly. The pride that he had for predicting Veronica's actions was still there though. "You stopped cuddling with me and made excuses to avoid dates. We never talked anymore" He chuckled to himself. "Or the no more sex thing may have done it"

"I stop putting out and you have me tailed?" Veronica said in disgust. She stopped thinking about the smart thing to say and just let him see how she felt. "That's insane. _Pathetic_" she emphasized the word by leaning slightly forward as she said it.

Duncan's eyes narrowed into slits and his hand shot out to catch her by the shirt. Veronica tried to push away from him but she couldn't do much with her hands still cuffed. Panic flooded her when she realized that she might have just set Duncan off.

"Pathetic?" Duncan said in a harsh whisper, his eyes flaming. He pushed her down on the couch and held her there with one hand. Veronica used the new position to kick at Duncan but her legs were still weak and she was easily subdued. Duncan used one hand to keep her arms up as he used the other one to rip open her shirt.

Veronica gasped as the air hit her skin and her mind froze. Only one thought went through her head.

He was going to rape her.

---------------

"So?" Logan asked impatiently as Keith looked at a map of the area they were in and compared it to his tracking screen. The man had needed to stop so he could pinpoint where exactly Veronica was. Logan was quickly losing patience.

"Lake Arrowhead" Keith said brusquely as he started the car again and moved back onto the road.

Logan felt triumph move through him. They were getting close to her; he could feel it. And now that they knew where she was it was only a matter of time.

------------------

Veronica thought briefly about Logan and her father. She had been so sure that they would find her, and now it was too late. They could be a mile away and still not make it in time. She would be alive and safe when she was found, but she wouldn't be whole.

Duncan grabbed at the waist of Veronica's pants and yanked at them, trying to unfasten them with brute strength. They didn't give and he cursed. Veronica tried to pull her arms out from his hold but couldn't do it.

She felt helpless and tears gathered in her eyes.

Then her phone rang.

Duncan's head shot up from where he had been focusing on her pants. The sound came from Veronica's left side, where the phone lay in her jacket pocket. Her eyes widened on Duncan's face as he realized what he had missed.

"The phone" he muttered to himself. He jerked her jacket so that he could reach the pocket easier. He pulled the phone out and looked at it with consternation.

He pushed off of her quickly and ran to the door, unlocking it quickly. He leaned halfway out of the door and looked down to the road. Veronica sat up slowly, pulling her shirt closed as much as she could. She saw Duncan throw her phone towards the lake.

"Cover yourself" Duncan said to her curtly as he moved to the fridge. He riffled through it and came out with a loaf of bread, some bottles of water and some sliced ham. He put it on the cramped counter and went back to the fridge for more food. Veronica looked longingly to the door. It was still wide open.

Veronica looked back to Duncan, who had gotten a bag and was stuffing the food inside while he muttered to himself. She got up slowly and edged around the sofa, moving toward the door. Duncan didn't turn.

She side-stepped the way slowly, almost halfway to the door. Just as she was about to make it outside a floorboard creaked underneath her feet. Veronica didn't take the time to see if Duncan had heard it, she whirled around and sped out of the cabin.

Her legs wobbled under her but she kept on going as fast as she could. She made it a few feet past where the car was parked when Duncan's body slammed into her from behind and they crashed to the ground. Veronica cried out as her hands were smashed beneath them.

Duncan rolled off of her quickly and hauled her to her feet with a snarl. "I don't have time for this" he bit out at her. He threw her over his shoulder roughly, ignoring her kicking feet. He went to the back of the car and tossed her into the backseat again.

Veronica knew that if he got her out of the area no one would ever see her again. Her phone was probably destroyed. And even if it wasn't, it wouldn't do anything to help her father find her. She started struggling more as Duncan tried to recuff her ankles. He wasn't gentle this time.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

Veronica started to cry silently when Duncan slammed the car door shut near her now bound feet. Her ankles were raw already from the cuffs and she knew that if she moved too much they would start to bleed.

There was nothing that she could do to get away now.

It was over.

She gave in to her fears at last and sobbed into the seat.

-----------------

Keith was driving as fast as he could. That was the only reason that Logan didn't yell at him to go faster. He had a feeling like they were already too late. And if that was the case…Logan didn't even want to think about that.

The only consolation that he could find was that he knew the sheriff was on the job; and that wasn't much.

Keith had phoned Lamb soon after they had made it into the Angeles National forest area. He had brought the other man up to speed on what had happened quickly over speaker phone. Logan appreciated that he would know what was going on.

They were both more then a little surprised that Lamb had not only believed them, but had already been a little worried about Duncan himself.

After picking Duncan up from Veronica's house, Lamb had dropped him off at a doctor's to get checked up. It had been the drive over that had worried Lamb though. Duncan had been mumbling about having to save Veronica from Logan.

When Keith had asked why Lamb hadn't done anything before, Lambhad beenindignant. _Apparently_, being a little worried and actually arresting someone was two different things. And he _had_ tried to find Duncan the next day. That was the only reason that Clemmons had noticed that Duncan was missing from class, therefore letting Logan know. So it was only because of Lamb that they knew what was going on at all.

Logan had to check the urge to reach through the phone and strangle Lamb himself.

But Lamb _did_ promise to put out a search for Duncan throughout all of California and at the border. So if Duncan slipped throughLogan and Keith'sfingers here, he would be found somewhere else. Or at least that was whatLogan told himself to keep the panic at bay as they drove.

They were on a small road that was surrounded by trees on both sides. _Had_ been on this road for twenty minutes now and slowly getting closer to the signal from Veronica's cell phone. But because there wasn't anything distinguishing about the trees, it was hard to notice that they were making any progress.

It was driving Logan crazy.

"Up here" Keith said to Logan as they slowed and turned onto a small private road. Logan looked around, but couldn't tell where they were. Keith slowed to a crawl, obviously not wanting to make too much noise. It would be better to surprise Duncan.

"Where…?" he didn't finish as the made a turn on the road and the cabin came into sight.

Veronica had just heard Duncan close the trunk roughly and knew that he was ready to leave now. Him finding out about her cell had saved her from rape, but it had warned him that they should leave. Veronica wasn't sure if she wouldn't have preferred to be raped.

Duncan had obviously not been prepared to have this place found out about though. That was a good thing at least. If he had to pack food _here_, it was because he didn't have another place ready anywhere else; and nowhere to hide her.

That thought had Veronica's spirit returning. They _would_ find her. Duncan was smart, but without a plan ready it was just a matter of time.

Then she heard the sound of a car pulling up. Was it someone to help her, or him?

Logan almost laughed with relief when he saw Duncan. They weren't too late.

When they had driven up to the cabin the first thing that they had seen was Duncan near the trunk of the car, having just finished closing it. His head snapped up when he heard them and Logan had the pleasure of seeing fear on his face.

Then Duncan bolted towards the driver's seat and Logan's heart stopped. If Veronica was in there then Duncan could still make it away with her. Or just hurt her.

Logan didn't think, he just jumped from the car and slammed the door shut, sprinting to where Duncan was opening his door.

Keith didn't hesitate.

Logan could hear the other man moving the car and glanced back to see that he was angling itin the driveway to block Duncan from getting out.

When Logan looked back at Duncan he saw that Duncan was reaching to turn the car on. In his rush he hadleft the door open.

But Duncan's hand wasn't going to make it to the car's ignition. Logan reached him just in time and yanked him out of the car bodily, throwing him on the ground. Duncan rolled as he hit the ground, coming to his feet quickly. Madness glowed from his eyes as he started to make his way towards Logan.

But Logan wasn't afraid. He had bested Duncan in fights before and he would do it again.

Then Duncan pulled out a knife.

-----------------

Veronica had no idea what was going on. She had seen Duncan get into the car, but then he had gotten back out fast. She had vaguely seen someone grab him from where the door stood open, but she couldn't tell who it was.

But it apparently wasn't someone who wanted to help Duncan.

Veronica started screaming for help, letting whoever it was out there now where she was.

-----------------

Logan was about to dodge a lunge from Duncan when he heard Veronica start screaming. It distracted him enough for Duncan to make contact. He cried out when the knife made a deep slash on his arm. He turned fast enough to see the determined look in Duncan's face as he lifted his arm to make the killing stab.

The only thing that ran through Logan's mind was that he had failed Veronica.

The loud sound of a bullet being shot interrupted his thoughts and Duncan's arm from swinging all the way into his chest. Logan could barely understand what was happening. He and Duncan stared at each other with shock mirrored on their faces.

Then Duncan looked down at his chest. Logan followed his gaze in time to see a furl of red color bloom on his shirt. It grew until Duncan stumbled back and fell on the ground. Logan stopped watching.

-----------------

Veronica jumped at the sound of a shot being fired, her cries cutting off. She tried to sit up and see what was going on, but it was too much for her. The movement scraped her ankles again and she felt the blood well up.

She stopped moving and closed her eyes tight, trying to stand the new pain she was feeling. Her nails bit into her hands as tears slipped past her eyes. It felt like she had been sitting like that forever when the car door opened.

"Veronica?" Logan's voice rasped out with emotion. Veronica's eyes popped open and her head turned as much as it could so that she could see his face. She had been so scared that she would never see his face again.

"Logan" she said as her tears overwhelmed her again. She lost all her remaining strength and her head dropped back onto the seat.

"I'm going to get you out of here Veronica" Logan said hoarsely.

_THE NEXT DAY…_

Veronica was settled on the couch, her legs propped up on a pillow. The bandages on her ankles weren't very thick and the pain was dulled by thedrugs that they had given her at the hospital. Her dad wouldn't listen to her though. She would be resting for the next year if he got his way.

She could understand how he felt though. When he had been hurt the year before from the fire, she had been the same way. And she was just as coddling with Logan now. He wasn't allowed to move his arm at all when he was near her.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked from beside her on the couch. Veronica looked up at him and smiled. He was looking very dashing and heroic with his arm all bandaged and his face still showing the evidence of his fight from before.

"Only that I love you" she answered softly as she snuggled into his side. Logan smiled and held her tighter with his good arm.

"I love you too Veronica" he whispered back.

----------------

Keith watched them quietly from the doorway, not being noticed. A smile touched his lips and he walked back to the kitchen without saying anything. After all that they had been through, he didn't have any more doubts about Logan.

Things weren't all peachy now…but nearly. Lamb had decided that the shooting was in self-defence and charges weren't going to be pressed.

And the Kanes were acting surprisingly docile. Jake had taken Keith aside at the hospital and let him know that he understood what had happened. Jake had seemed glad that his son had been stopped from doing something that he would later regret.

Duncan was going to survive the bullet to the chest, but it had been touch-and-go for a while there. The Kanes planned on pleading insanity when Duncan was charged with kidnapping and assault. With Veronica's promise of support, it was probably going to work.

When Veronica had agreed with Jake, Logan had been a little upset. He thought that Duncan deserved whatever he got for hurting Veronica. Keith secretly agreed, but knew that pushing Veronica wasn't going to help anyone. Logan must have decided the same thing because he lay off the subject.

So the only thing that they had to worry about now was getting on with their lives. It wouldn't be easy. Things like this always affected the victims in different ways and Keith knew that he would never forget how his daughter had looked when Logan had pulled her from Duncan's car. He wouldn't be able to bounce back from that too quickly.

Alicia was waiting for him in the kitchen with coffee and he smiled at the sight. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard after all; not when he had help.

THE END

END NOTE: this is the end and I hope that you enjoyed the fic. I am pretty sure that there won't be a sequel to this one. I like how it ended and I don't need to change anything.


End file.
